Bonney Lassie: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day -- August 2017

I'm both astounded and discouraged that it's already the middle of August. I had high hopes for the gardening season at the beginning of the year, and don't feel like I accomplished even half of what I wanted. To me, August signals the slide into autumn. I keep coming up with new ideas and plans. Move this! Plant more of that! Progress always comes to a bit of a screeching halt when summer comes because anything I plant will need coddling over our dry summer, and I'm not really a coddler. I look forward to the fall rains returning, because it means I can start planting and moving plants again, but I still feel like I'm behind.

Thankfully, we had some rain over the weekend, just a touch overnight. The soil is already dry as dust again. Breezes came and blew the smoke away, and the temps are lower now, so I can finally get out there and do some things, like cutting back and pulling all the ugly spent California poppies.

Anyway, here's what's flowering in my garden on this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Echinacea is wonderfully drought-tolerant, there are some in the front that get watered maybe once a summer and still look ok.

The same can be said for this Eryngium 'Blue Glitter.'

The lilies are nearly done, the only ones left are ones that don't tend to spread, like this, which I think might be 'Stargazer.'

The bees loves ornamental Oregano 'Kent Beauty' and it's also drought tolerant, another once a summer drinker

Joe Pye Weed is flowering much to my surprise, since it hasn't been watered much, but then it also doesn't get much sun. I think I'll reward it by moving it next year to a spot that gets watered consistently.

I never remember to prop up Anemanthele before it flowers

This shrubby Clematis tubulosa is one of the first plants I planted here, but it has spread and takes up more space than I think it's flowers deserve

They're inconspicuous

Cupid's Dart seldom gets water and flowers well

This white Echinops is going to get pulled out and probably potted up for a swap one of these days -- it reminds me of an enormous dandelion gone to seed, which is not a connotation I like

I really need to plant more Geranium 'Rozanne'

Fuchsia magellanica hasn't been flowering all that long -- it died right back to the ground this winter and has taken its time producing flowers

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' looking unkempt hasn't gotten its fair share of water, it deserves a better spot

Achillea 'Moonshine' is reblooming

Lobelia tupa

I don't know if this yellow Crocosmia has a name, but it needs digging and dividing this winter

Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy' looking good

This clump of Echinacea has gotten consistent summer water, and it shows -- I bet it would look good with Joe-Pye Weed and Monarda 'Raspberry Wine' for companions

Tithonia 'Torch' that I grew from seed this year has started flowering, although the plants are not much to look at

Cyclamen coum in the shady back Northeast corner has been watered well all summer too, and hasn't stopped flowering

Just a few of these lilies left ('Black Beauty' I think)

I think this is Geranium 'Wargrave Pink,' another wonderful plant that has been blooming all summer with little water

Corydalis lutea pops up amongst the Geranium

I like the blue Echinops much better than the white, and the bees love it too

I startled a bee as I homed in on this bloom for a photo

Orange Crocosmia through a scrim of Nasella tenuisima

Cardoon flowers are so high, I needed to pull the stalk down closer to the camera

I added this Phygelius last fall, a new acquistion from the fall swap, and now it's flowering

This Sesleria autumnalis is the only one in the garden out of about 5 or 6 that is flowering well and has a nice bushy aspect, I can't help wondering why